∆ hey! it's laura's birthday! ∆

Happy birthday, my beautiful Laura!

Remember when I cried during my speech at your wedding? 

(Ha, well actually, remember when all of the girls cried giving speeches at your wedding? Why didn't the groomsmen have that problem? Vince would later tell me he found this incredibly amusing... Awesome... Glad we could entertain... I'm losing my point...)

Well the reason I cried was because, as I said, your friendship means the absolute world to me. When I was stuck somewhere between the decision to stay in California or move back to Portland, I remember worrying about what I would do without any girlfriends up here. 

And then I remembered you. 

I remembered how through some clandestine seating arrangement you ended up sitting next to Helios on that plane that day, and how it took about an instant to realize this friendship was a good one.

And once that moving truck rolled back into town, I would know for sure this was the right decision because so soon I would smile and thank God for how we would end up working together in a job we basically hated but at least it gave us the chance to goof off every day, and how we never did manage to just grab lunch because why wouldn't we wander around our city eating cupcakes then find a happy hour somewhere?, and how you made me scream in the middle of LRT when you told me you were getting married and would I be a bridesmaid?, and I will never forget the day we met up and headed off through the Park Blocks and you told me you were pregnant (and how Maria was apparently watching from her window and saw my freakout and, even without hearing our conversation, knew exactly what had happened - I can only imagine what that flip out must have looked like), and how you helped me navigate through those first horrible days after a break-up and made sure I was okay, and how mind-blowingly heroic you were when you brought that sweet little (okay, not little, here's hoping #2 is a little smaller!) baby into the world, and the first time I saw you with your son and thought, "She is going to be the best mom", and how absolutely stunning you were the day you married John and how much fun it was to see you two so happy, and how you put up with Ashley and me fussing over helping you move and who got to hold the baby or snuggle those puppies who were so good with their new little brother, or how after a year apart we picked right back up the second I landed in Montana because you my dear, are one of the dearest, best, most cherished friends I have ever had!

Happy birthday pretty mama! I can't wait to see you in just a few short months!!!